What Is Integrative Education in Austria?

Why?

Integrative education means that children with and without a disability attend the same school. This makes shared experiences possible and increases mutual understanding and, thereby, interest in each other. It is a lifelong challenge to accept other people who are not exactly like oneself: integrative education trains this in school already.

How?

Integrative education demands forms of learning that are accessible to all children. As children learn best by doing, there has been a shift from teaching to learning, and here to more open and autonomous forms.

The children will learn through playing, they should learn from each other and begin to co-operate. Gradually, this will lead to independent and target-oriented learning.

What about differences?

In an integrative classroom children will differ widely as regards their personal development, their general knowledge as well as their learning capability. These differences are taken into account and made the basis for differing learning opportunities and requirements. This reduces stress and makes successful learning possible.

School experiments have shown that up to four disabled children can be successfully integrated into a class of about twenty children. 

The classroom

An integrative classroom is a primary school classroom that has been adapted for the special needs of children with a disability. This can mean a ramp, wider doors and roomier toilets for wheelchair users, or it can involve technical equipment for deaf or blind pupils.

Adjoining the classroom there should be a second room for group work or just relaxing.

It has been shown that the atmosphere of a classroom has an effect on the learning of the children. Therefore, care has to be taken to provide friendly rooms with suitable furniture and well designed teaching material.

You can look at some pictures of these classrooms.

What kind of teacher?

In addition to the primary school teacher there can also be a second "supportive teacher" (with special needs training). With five challenged children this second teacher can be in the classroom all the time in Vorarlberg. But the implementation is left to the provinces and might therefore differ slightly.

In 1994/95 there were 450 classes in Austria with two teachers present all the time.

Which Curriculum?

The regular primary school curriculum is the basis for early school education. It enables the teacher to determine specially adapted learning objectives for every child. If it is necessary, children will be educated according to the curriculum of a different year or that of special needs schools in all or some of the subjects.

Three Models in Use

Special education in mainstream classes - integrated provision - is provided for pupils with certified special needs. Three models of integration exist although their availability may be dependent upon the number of pupils present within the school setting:

1. mainstream classes with the full-time support of a specialist teacher
2. mainstream classes with support on an hourly basis by a specialist teacher
3. co-operation classes which have the structure of a special class, their pupils being taught by a specialist teacher, with the possibility of pupils attending mainstream classes for lessons where they could access the mainstream curriculum.

The special mobile service offers an " outpatient" service for children in mainstream schools with various disabilities (ie: speech impediment, behaviour problems, visual and hearing impairments). Support is available inside or outside the classroom.

Additional aids such as differentiated curriculum materials, equipment, medical therapies and transport are made available as determined by children's needs. Similarly, pupils have access to specialist teaching staff, medical staff, therapists and auxiliary staff as is required.